Aeroplane.



P. C. SHERNER.

AEROPLANE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 12. 191i.

Putel'lted May 6, I919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

IIVVENTOI? WITNESSES j. 67 erner ATTORNEYS aosnmm.

AEROPLANE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 121 I917.

Patented May 6, 1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

M/VE/VTUR C kerizer WITNESSES A TTOR/YEVS P. C. SHEHNER.

AEROPLANE. 1

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 12. mu.

7 L30% 864m v Patented May 6, 1919.

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AZEROPLANE.

I Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Ma e, 1919.

Application filed October 12, 1917. Serial No. 196,161.

To all wh'omt'i may concern;

Be it known that I, PETER C. SHERNER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Ogden, in the county of Weber and State of Utah, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Aeroplanes, of which the following is a specifibation.

My present invention relates particularly to aeroplanes and has to do generally with the propulsion thereof, my object being to utilize as an assistance in the propulsion as well as stability of the machine, certain air currents developed in its normal operation.

I have found that in the normal operation of an aeroplane, certain air currents are projected forwardly-over the rear extremity of the Wing or wings of the machine, and I propose the addition of certain means-in connection with the wings of aeroplanes, whereby to take advantage of these air currents and bring about their assistance to the propulsion as well as to thestability of the machine.

More particularly my invention aims to provide anadjustable wind vane in connection with an aeroplane wing, and adjustable with respect thereto, at a point where the air current directed forwardly over the rear extremity of the wing will engage the vane and by their engagement, asslst in the propulsion of the machine and the stability thereof, without increasing the normal wind resistance.

III

Another object of the inv'entionisthe provision of means which will control the elfect of air currents against the wind vane and obviat excessive pressure thereagainst.

My invention specifically resides in the features of construction, arrangement and' operation to be now described with respect to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a machine to which my invention is applied,

Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section taken therethrough substantially on line 22 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the machine,

Fig. 4 is an enlarged. transverse section through one of the wings equipped with my improvement.

Fig. 5 is a top plan view illustrating a modified form, and

Figs. 6 and 7 are vertical sections taken respectively on lines 66 and 77 of Fig. 5 illustrating different positions of the parts. Referring now to these figures, I have shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 a substantially conventional type of aeroplane, in the present instance, a. biplane, the wings appearing at 10, the fuselage at 11, the rear rudders, both horizontal and vertical, appearing at 12, and the aileron of the upper wing 10 appearing at 13. I

In the normal operation of a machine for instance, of the type just mentioned, I have found that the air currents passing rearwardly beneath one or both of the wings, or at least a part of such air currents as indicated at 14 in Fig. 4, are directed upwardly around the rear ends of the wings, and it is these air currents I aim to utilize for the purposes first above mentioned. a

To do this I provide a wind vane 15 con-.

sisting of a substantially flat, elongated and upper surface of the respective wings of the machine along the rear portions thereof, the forward end of this vane 15 being hinged at 16 to the wings 10 so as to permit of vertical adjustment of the rear edge of the vane with respect to the rear edge of the win Between the upper surface of the wings and the lower surfaces of the vane 15 are interposed one or more springs 17 which operate to normally shift the vane on its hinges away from the wings, such shifting movements being under control of one or more flexible connections 18, which latter may be from the operators station as indicated at 19 in Fig. 2.

To better enable the vane 15 to intercept the whole currents of air around the rear ends of the wings, I may employ a flexible web 20, secured at one end to the lower surface of the vane and at its opposite end to the upper surface of the wing, and of sufficient width so that considering its flexibility, the vane 15 may be given a substantially wide range of adjustment with respect to the wing.

my improved vanemay be extended along the entire length of the wings in some instances, or, in connection with wings having ailerons'l3 as seen in Fig. 3, my improved vane may be extended for the full length of the wings between said ailerons.

It is to be further understood that, irrespective of whether or not my improve ments are capable of materially adding to the speed of movement of an aeroplane, they are calculated to increase the stability thereof, and capable of a'djustment not only to vary the degree of their effect, but to collapse the same tightly against the upper face of the wings to a wholly inoperative position.

As seen in Figs. 5, 6 and 7 I may provide each wind vane with a series of trap doors 21 in suitable numbers and in a longitudinal series to normally cover openings through the wind vane -between its free edge and the web 20. These trap doors 21 are hinged at one ed e at 22 to the wind vane 15 to open vertica ly in an upward direction with respect to the wind vane and to close downwardly and tightly over the respective opening or openings of the wind vane in normal position. The opening movement of each of the trap doors '21 with respect to the wind vane and the degree of such opening movement is regulated by a bolt or bolts 23 of each trap door, having a hinge connection at its upper end to the trap door and extending downwardly through the wind vane as best seen in Fig. 6 and suporting a sprin Q-L around its, lower portion bearing upwardly against thedower surface of the wind vane. Thus the degree of resistance that the trap door may offer to the air currents is controlled by the strength of the spring 24- and may be regulated by increasing or decreasing the tension of said spring. The spring 2% may be suitably supported in connection with the bolt and the wing 10 inconnection with which the wind vane is utilized, may have pockets or other suitable recesses as indicated in Figs. 6 and 7 to receive the lowenportions of the bolts 23 when the vane 15 is closed downwardly and tightly against the Wing:

Furthermore, although I have shown the wind vane 15 substantially flat in each instance, it is to be observed that I may desire to utilize the same in good form, either with or Without the trap doors last described, to follow more particularly the curvature of the wing, and that, although I have shown the rear free edge of the vane in Figs. 2 andt terminating in substantially the same vertical plane with the rear edge of the wing 10 in connection wit-h which it is utilized, the rear edge of the wing may be terminated forwardly of the rear edge of the wing and at any suitable distances with respect thereto.

Particular attention should, however, be called to the fact that my invention aims to produce action from forwardly moving air currents and that it is of the first importance to avoid interference with rearwardly moving air currents. To this end it should be noted th' t the vane 15 is hinged to the downwardh sloping rear portion of a curved wing 10 and although normally outstanding under tension of spring 17,.in spaced relation to the wing 1.0, .it does not in any case, or at any point, extend above the horizontal level of the crown of the wing. This is all plainly apparent from a comparison of Figs. 2, e. 6, and 7.

I claim:

1. An aeroplane having a rearwardly and downwardly curved ,wing provided with a wind vane consisting of a substantially rigid elongated body superposed upon the upper face of the wing along its rear portion, said vane having its forward edge hingedly connected to the wing and having its rea'iedge movable vertically with respect to the wing. said vane being located and extending in its various positions of adjustment with respect to the wing, wholly below the horizontal level of the crown of thewing and thus providingan obstruction to forwardly moving air currents over the upper rear surface of the wing without interfering with rear- Wardly moving currents thereover.

2. An aeroplane having a rearwardly and downwardly curved wing provided with a various positions of adjustment with respect to the wing, wholly below the horizontal level of the crown of the wing and thus pro vlding, an obstruction to forwardly moving air currents over the upper rear surface of the wing without interfering with rear- Wardly moving currents thereover, and means to adjust the rear free edge of the vane with respect to the wing.

3.-An aeroplane having a rearwardly and downwardly curved wing provided with ailerons adjacent the ends thereof, a wind vane consisting of a substantially rigid elongated body superposed upon the upper face of the wing along its rear portion. said vane having its forward edge lnngedly connected to the wing and having its rear edge movable vertically with respect to the wing, said vane being located and extending in its various positions of adjustment with respect to the wing, wholly below the horizontal level of the crown of the wing and thus providing an obstruction to forwardly moving air currents over the upper rear surface of e ere... a

the wing without interfering with rearwardly moving currents thereover.

Jill

d. An aeroplane having a rearwardly and downwardly curved wing, a wind vane disposed upon the rear portion of the upper face of said wing and hingedly connected at its forward edge to the wing, and a spring interposed. between the wing and the vane to normally shift the latter away from the wing, and a flexible controlling connection secured to the vane for shifting the. latter toward the wing and against the tension of said spring, said vane being disposed and movable in its'various-positionsof adjustment wholly beneath the horizontal level of the erownfof said spring, whereby to provide a resistance surface to forwardly moving air currents above the wing without obstructing rearwardly moving air currents thereover. p

5. An aeroplane havlng. a wing provided with a substantially rigid wind vane extend' ing upon its upper face and along itsrear portion, said vane having its forward edge hingedly connected. to the adjacent portion of the wing and having its rear free edge adjustable vertically with respect to the rear edge of the wing: means to control said vane, and aflexible we'b connecting the vane and (wing and located approximately midway between the front and rear edges of the vane, for the purpose described.

'6. An aeroplane having a rearwardly and downwardly curved wing provided with an adjustable vane extending along the rear portion of the upper face of the wing, said till vane being located and having adjustable movement with respect to the wing wholly beneath the horizontal level of the crown of 1 said wing whereby to intercept forwardly moving air currents. without obstructing rearwardly moving air currents.

7. An aeroplane having a rearwardly downwardly curved wing provided with means disposed upon the rear portion of the upper facethereof to intercept air cur.- rents moving forwardly around the rear edge of, the wing, said means having a limited movement with respect to the wing M an it til crown of the wing, for the purpose described.

I 8. An aeroplane having a wing provided. with a windvane ei'rtending along the upper rear portion of the wing and hingedly connected at its forward portion thereto, with its rear edge movable vertically with respect to the upper surface of the wing, said vane having an opening therethrough and spring controlled means normally closing the opening to regulate the pressure against the vane in use.

9. An aeroplane having a wing provided with a wind vane extending along the upper rear portion of the wing and hingedly connected at its forward portion thereto, with its rear edge movable vertically with respect .the trap door and the vane normally resisting opening movement of the former whereby to control the pressure acting against the wind vane in use.

10. An aeroplane having its wing provided with means along the rear upper surface thereof to intercept air currents cxtending forwardly and upwardly around the rear edge of the wing and means carried by said first named means to automatically control the efl'ective pressure of the air currents thereagainst.

11. An aeroplane having a rearwardly and downwardly sloping wing provided with means upon the upper surface of its lower rear portion and located below the horizontal level of its crown, to intercept air currents moving forwardly around the rear edge of the wing, and means forming a part of said first named means to automatically control the effective area of said first named means.

J. H. LEISHMAN, H. H. GODDARD.

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